Jamshedpur (Jharkhand): A man allegedly to have committed a series of crimes was on Sunday shot dead while his accomplice was arrested at Bedo in Ranchi district, a senior police officer said.

Superintendent of Police in Gumla, Jatin Narwal said Santosh alias Chotka Shaw, who was wanted by the police in over a dozen criminal cases including attempt to murder, extortion, dacoity and robbery, and his accomplice Ata-ur Rahman have been demanding ransom of Rs Five lakhs from a Gumla-based timber merchant for last few days.

As the duo was on the way to collect the money, alert police team intercepted them and asked them to surrender.

But they opened fires at the police team, forcing them to retaliate in self-defence, he said adding that Santosh was killed in the exchange of firing at Bedo under Bedo police station.

Following the incident, police gave a chase and arrested Rahman, who was trying the flee the scene, Narwal said.